10 Best Places To Hike In Houston Texas
10 Best Places To Hike In Houston Texas
At the beginning of this year, you probably resolved to stay fit and explore a little more nature. Did you know that you can do both these things by just taking a hike? Houston and the larger Texas area boast of some of the most attractive nature spots and trail.
If you are looking to go for a hike in Houston, below is a list of the ten best places you can go for your hike courtesy of PPC Hire.
Memorial Park Purple Trail
This trail, found in Memorial Park, is 2.5 miles in length, and comprises the outer loop in a network of trails. It is a great place to run, hike or even walk with your pets. In the route, you will make your way through a leafy forest with a variety of trees, including cypress, elm, hawthorn, loblolly pine and yaupon holly. On this trail, you will also run into mushrooms, lichens, and some creeks. This hike begins and ends at a parking lot with restrooms. The park is free and open from dawn to dusk.
Houston Arboretum Outer Loop
This is the outer trail in a loop of nine trails through the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. The trail is five miles in length, therefore a great place to run and take a self-guided tour. On this route, you will be sure to encounter native Texas plants, and edge habitat that attracts wild animals and birds, a ravine, a seasonal creek and some of the most massive sycamore trees in the county. The trail is opened from daily from 7 am to 7 pm.
Armand Bayou Martyn and Karankawa Trails
The Armand Bayou Nature Centre, which sits on 25 acres of land, has up to five miles of hiking trails. The three-mile Martyn and Karankawa trails are suitable for hiking, running or just exploring. These trails are found along the edge of the bayou, and when moving along them, you will go through the woodlands and prairies. You can access these trails from Wednesday to Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. On Sunday, you can access them between noon and 5 pm. The admission fee varies depending on the age of a person and whether they have pets or not.
Buffalo Bayou Trails
Another unique spot that would be perfect for hiking in Houston is the Buffalo Bayou Trails. These hiking and biking trails cover up to 20 miles of paved routes with a stunning green view of the city. There are also 2 miles of trails that connect the Theater District downtown and Sesquicentennial Park and Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway trails. The Buffalo Bayou Trails are open daily from Monday through Sunday.
Lake Livingstone State Park
The Lake Livingstone State Park sits at the edge of one of the largest lakes in the state. This park has three trails, Pineywood Nature Trail, Livingstone Trail and the Equestrian Trail. Out of these, you can only hike in the two former ones, the combination of which makes 3.5miles of trails. On these trails, you get to encounter frog and duck ponds, a butterfly garden and a view of the lake. The park is opened daily, and the entrance fee is $5 per adult.
Terry Hershey Park and Bike Trail
This park sits on 500 acres of land and follows the Buffalo Bayou to give way to the multiple trails in the park. These include 5-mile Quail Trail and the 1.6-mile Mockingbird Trail. Other trails within the park include the 1.25-mile Blue Jay Trail loop and the 0.9-mile Cardinal Trail loop. There are multiple access points each with water fountains and parking to enable you to access the different trails in the park. The trails are opened daily from 7 am to 10 pm.
George Bush Park Equestrian Center to Sports Park
This George Bush Park sits on 7,800 acres, and the 3.5-mile trail cuts right through it. The first half of the route is lined with trees and ends with the Buffalo Bayou Bridge halfway. The second half is also lined with trees, but in this case, they are closer to the path. This route also has benches and water fountains placed intermittently throughout. Note that the 3.5 miles is a one-way trip, and to get back to where you parked, you will need to retrace your steps for the 3.5 miles. You can access the trail daily for free between 7 am and 10 pm.
Challenger Seven Memorial Park
The trail through this park covers 2.2 miles of ground. You will begin the hike from the campgrounds located around the Challenger Learning Center to a relatively-less populated area of the park. On this route, you will go past a fishing lake, visit wetlands next to Clear Creek and hike on a boardwalk. The path is littered with picnic tables and restrooms. Although this memorial park is relatively suburban, the trails are shaded and well worth your time.
Lake Houston Wilderness Park North River Trail
The Lake Houston Wilderness Park sits on 4,786 acres of land on the San Jacinto River and Peach Creek. This area comprises 12 miles of heavily-wooded trails which include the Peach Creek Loop Trail, Forest Trail, and North River Trail. The latter is 7 miles in length and goes through a route with tall pine trees, a wooden bridge and a bench on a bluff above a river. Between Sunday and Thursday, the park is opened between 7 am and 6 pm. On Friday and Saturday, it is opened between 7 am and 8 pm. The entry fee is $3.
Brazos Bend State Park Elm and 40-Acre Lake Trails
You can access the 4897-acre park daily before 10 pm at $7 per adult. In it, you will get to experience the best of both the water and wooden worlds. The trail starts at the parking center through a wooded bottomland and open woods. There are observation decks in the area for observing birds and alligators. The whole pathway is characterized by a canopy of trees, restrooms and turn-offs into other paths. So, if you want the best of the wild and watery world, visit the trails on Brazos Bend State Park.